


quarantine blues

by JustAnotherWriterChica



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, I realize that we're all tired of quarantine, M/M, and it forces some pretty cute situations, and the focus is NOT on quarantine at all, but this was just an outlet, so I'm sorry for writing about it, so bear with me here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29728185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherWriterChica/pseuds/JustAnotherWriterChica
Summary: When there is an incident in Viney's general potions brewing class, she and the rest of her classmates are forced to quarantine in one wing of the school for a few days. Viney plans on laying low for the duration and keeping her head down until they can leave, but it seems like a persistent Emira Blight is going to throw a wrench in those plans.
Relationships: Edric Blight/Jerbo, Emira Blight/Viney
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi friends! I hope you all enjoy this little story of mine! (and that you're not too tired of real life quarantine to give this a shot, I promise that the quarantine was just a plot device to trap them together more than the focus of the story :) )

Hexside Academy of Magic and Demonics is not, by any means, a particularly safe place to send your children. Reports of missing students were not uncommon. Minor explosions and small fires were an everyday occurrence. Mythic beasts and magical plants roamed the grounds at all hours of the day. 

Not to mention, the annual Grom. 

Of course, some safety measures just had to be sacrificed when you put together large populations of magical children and expected them to learn spells and hexes. They would never learn anything without an element of risk. 

Viney had witnessed her fair share of magical mishaps throughout her time at Hexside, had even caused a few herself. All accidental, of course. At this point in her studies, she was pretty sure that she had seen all of the school’s emergency protocols for these types of situations, but today that notion had been thrown out the window. Hexside still had a couple of surprises hidden within its walls.

The ‘incident’ happened in her general potions brewing classes.

Despite her placement in two specialty tracks, Viney was still required to take a few general education classes along with the rest of her peers. These classes usually contained an interesting mixture of students from every track. Every year Viney felt like a brand new face cropped up in one of these classes even though the size of her class had barely changed since they were all five years old. 

In today’s potions class, they had been brewing a particularly tricky curse, one that was designed to break down the recipient’s immune system and leave them exposed to any number of diseases and infections. Even the common cold could be a death sentence. By any standards, this was a particularly nasty brew. Viney hadn’t really understood why they were making it in the first place, but who was she to question her professor?

They’d all been wearing the required safety equipment and adhering to their teacher’s instructions but none of that mattered in the end. As they were slaving away over their cauldrons, someone in the back of the class had sneezed while brewing and accidentally blown up their potion, sending the concoction raining down on their classmates. 

Alarms had immediately gone off and Principal Bump had come bustling down the hall to handle the situation. An antidote was brewed in a separate classroom and doses had been delivered to every student within the hour. However, there was a kicker. The antidote took three days to begin fully working in the recipient. 

Which meant that they all had to be quarantined in a designated wing of the school for the duration of that period. 

Quite frankly, it was Viney’s worst nightmare. 

Don’t get her wrong, Viney was a bit of a nerd. She loved school, she loved learning new things, and sitting through her classes brought her genuine joy. But that by no means meant that she wanted to be trapped here with a random handful of her classmates. Viney couldn’t even escape to the secret corridors the former detention trackers used because they were a potentially fatal health risk.

At least Jerbo was stuck here too.

“Well, where should we set up camp?” Jerbo pondered, pulling Viney from her thoughts. 

The school had done an emergency deep clean of this entire wing so that they had some room to move around during their extended stay. If she had to be stuck in school, at least they were given the run of an entire wing and not just confined to a solitary classroom. Currently, the two of them were wandering through the sanitized halls to try and stake out the best place to wait this whole mess out. 

“I don’t know,” Viney shrugged, glancing at the doors lining the hall. “We could try the astronomy tower? It’ll probably be empty since most people don’t know about the back stairwell door.”

They meandered in that direction, making their way past vacant classrooms and up the little-known spiral staircase. Thankfully the room was completely deserted. Viney murmured a little ‘thank you’ to whatever force in the universe allowed them to be the first ones to find this perfect hideout. 

“Hm, maybe we don’t have the  _ worst _ luck ever, Jerbo,” Viney flashed a grin as she flopped down in the nearest bean bag chair. Thank the Titan for their astronomy professor’s eclectic sense of interior design. 

“You say that now but you might be singing a different song by the time our three days are up,” Jerbo, ever the skeptic, quipped.

Viney rolled her eyes and tossed a throw pillow at her melodramatic friend’s head. She might not be feeling particularly optimistic about this whole situation either but at least one of them had to try to stay positive or it was truly going to be a miserable few days. If that person had to be her, then so be it. 

They spent the next half hour exploring the astronomy tower and creating the perfect hideout. It was no ‘secret room of shortcuts’ but it would do in a pinch. Hell, they had even managed to find a secret candy stash in their teacher’s bottom drawer.

The telescopes were repositioned so that they could see both of their houses and try to keep an eye out for their families. Bean bags had been pushed and pulled around the room until they resembled beds for later tonight; they would nab blankets from the cots being set up in the halls downstairs. Books with intriguing titles had been pulled off the shelf for future entertainment and Jerbo had even scrounged up a deck of playing cards.

It was by no means perfect, but for three days, it would do.

“Do you really think we’ll be stuck here for three whole days?” Viney asked as she perched on the windowsill. 

Jerbo looked up from the star chart he had been examining with a shrug. “I think it’s safe to assume so. The school wouldn’t risk sending us home any sooner. Could you imagine the PR nightmare? Even Bump can’t manage to put a new spin on ‘Hexside Horror: dozens of students dead after mishandled magical mishap.’”

That garnered a shared laugh. They’d both been in trouble with Bump enough to know how well he could spin a story to make himself look better, but even he had limits. 

A shadow passing over the window dragged Viney’s attention back to the outside world. A bird flew overhead and on towards the outskirts of town where Viney imagined her mother was just waking up now, groggily puttering about their house until she heard the bad news. That would probably keep her up for the next seventy two hours. Her mother was a worrier too. By the time this lockdown was over her nerves would be completely shot. 

“There’s gotta be some upside to this situation,” Jerbo absently commented as he leafed through a textbook. “Maybe Bump will just automatically pass us all for this class.”

She would have argued that the man was too stingy with grades to allow for that but Viney was suddenly very distracted by the new voices echoing up the stairwell. Voices, that she was (unfortunately) able to pick out quite easily. Jerbo’s face fell flat when he picked up on the sound, which meant that he also knew exactly who was about to greet them. 

The tail end of a conversation leaked into the room as the Blight twins came around the bend. “No, Edric, I don’t think it’s ethical to use the telescope for that. Please, for Titan’s sake, stop asking me.”

The twins sauntered up the final steps, so immersed in their conversation that they didn’t initially notice either of the tower’s current occupants. It wasn’t until Emira bumped into a relocated bean bag chair that she happened to look up and realize they weren’t alone. With impressively fast reflexes, the witch’s hand shot out and caught her brother before he could faceplant on the rearranged furniture. 

Both twins seemed rather surprised to find that anyone had beaten them up here. 

“Well, this is rather unfortunate,” Edric huffed in disappointment. “It seems that we weren’t the only ones to learn about the back stairwell. Come on, Em. Let’s go find somewhere else to hang out.”

While Edric was prepared to surrender, it seemed that his sister was not as keen on backing down. 

Based off past experiences, Viney knew that Emira Blight was not going to give up on something that she wanted so easily. Edric had been a bit of a pushover since they’d all been in the baby class together, but his twin had  _ always _ been a force to reckon with. Emira had been making bargains and striking deals since they were all toddling on the playground. Somehow the witch always managed to talk her way into exactly what she wanted.

But not this time. 

If they were going to be stuck here for three days then Viney was going to spend that time in this tower. Away from the Blights and their antics. There would be no deals today. 

“We  _ could  _ go, Ed,” Emira spun towards Jerbo with a saccharine smile and fluttering lashes. “Or we could all just wait this out together. Surely there’s enough room up here for the four of us.”

Jerbo raised his index finger, as though he was ready to protest, but Viney cut in before he could open his trap. “No way. We got here first and we don’t need anyone else up here, especially you two. Go goof off somewhere else.”

Perhaps Viney had made a mistake in adding that last bit because Emira’s eyes seemed to spark in response, but with what exactly she couldn’t be sure. It certainly wasn’t often that someone challenged a Blight, even the youngest one, so this must have been an unexpected turn of events for the witch.

“Goof off?” Emira repeated, curiously. “Edric and I just wanted to pass the time with some friends in a nice, cozy classroom. That’s all.”

Those golden eyes seemed to pin her in place, daring Viney to say no again. She wanted to squirm under the focused gaze, but she refused to show any discomfort. “We’re not friends, Emira. You two barely know our names. Besides, you’re nothing but trouble and I don’t want to get mixed up in that. Go away. Find another classroom.”

“Viney!” Jerbo gasped, surprised that she would take such a harsh tone so quickly. She couldn’t help herself, these spoiled brats had a way of getting under her skin especially quickly. 

While the girls were still immersed in their standoff, Edric began to grow tired of the theatrics. He tugged at his sister’s elbow as he started back towards the staircase. “Let’s go, Emira. Clearly, we’re not wanted.”

Emira stood her ground for another moment and Viney felt that she was being sized up at this moment. She hardened her gaze and set her jaw in response. Her foot was down and that would be the end of it.

After what felt like the longest ten seconds ever, Emira relented with a smirk and followed her brother back down the staircase. 

Just as Viney began to deflate, Emira’s head poked back through the door, a grin on her lips and determination in her eyes. “You and I are going to be friends by the end of this quarantine, Viney. Just you wait and see. I’ll find you later at dinner!”

With that declaration, the Blights were gone.

Silence descended upon the room as the teens stared at the doorway in shared shock.

“Jerbo?”

“Yeah, Viney?”

“This quarantine is gonna suck.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the dreaded dinner comes...but is it really as bad as Viney suspects it will be?

Several hours and eight rounds of Hexes Hold ‘Em later, an announcement played over the school’s intercom to let the students know that dinner was now being served to them in the main corridor. Professor Asteria also let them know that they would all be required to remain within her line of sight for the entirety of the meal. It had something to do with liability which Viney found a bit ridiculous given the current state of things.

“I am so not looking forward to this.”

“What? Come on, you love dinner,” Jerbo chided. He reached out a hand to help her out of a deep set bean bag chair and then they started down the stairs. “It’s, like, your favorite part of the day. Plus they’ll probably give us some amazing food as compensation for basically holding us hostage. How could you not be excited?”

When they reached the bottom of the stairwell Viney shut and locked the door behind them with a key she’d found in the teacher’s desk. She wasn’t about to let anyone take the tower while they were eating. Especially a certain irritating pair. 

“Don’t you remember that Emira said she was going to come find me again at dinner? My whole evening is about to be ruined by that girl, I just know it.”

The only response Viney received was a dismissive wave of the hand, which was probably fair since she’d already spent a large portion of the afternoon whining about the Blights and their trouble. Jerbo was more than ready to retire this subject by now. 

When they reached the main hall it looked as if about half their class had already come for their meal. Viney was pleased to see that no one had been left to sit by themselves. It seems that everyone had found a friend of some sort to wait this ordeal out with. 

“Uh, does Professor Asteria seem a little...unstable to you?” Jerbo muttered out of the side of his mouth as they approached. 

He was right, the woman seemed a bit... well, off. Even from twenty feet away, Viney could see the way she twitched every time she glanced at a student and she was wringing her hands like she might just pull them off. Not entirely uncommon for a witch, but usually not preferred either.

Perhaps she was already going stir crazy.

Or maybe the guilt of having her students concoct such a dangerous brew was catching up with her. 

“Let’s just grab our dinners and sit as far from that impending meltdown as we can.” Viney hurriedly ushered Jerbo to the brown bags at the end of the table. They both did their best to avoid eye contact with their teacher as they offered a nod of thanks before bolting for the lockers at the end of the hall. 

After peering into his paper bag, Jerbo let out a discontented groan. “This is the most underwhelming dinner I’ve ever seen! And I’ve eaten at my sister’s house before.”

It was, indeed, underwhelming, Viney had to admit as she rummaged through the contents of the paper bag. Her dinner consisted of a bland sandwich, one whole pickle , and a small piece of candy which seemed to be offered as a condolence more than a treat. 

“Whatever, at least we haven’t run into any green haired menaces yet,” Viney responded, wearily eyeing the calm hallway. “And I’ve eaten at your sister’s house too. It was miles better than this. Her presentation was just, uh, questionable.”

Jerbo rolled his eyes, “Whatever. I’m going to wash up before we eat, be back in a few.” 

Before Viney had a chance to stop him, Jerbo had danced out of her reach and was jogging down the hall, leaving her vulnerable. Apparently he was quite eager to get away from her complaining.

And could she really blame him?

She’s been so irritable since the twins’ appearance in the astronomy tower earlier that afternoon. Viney knew she was behaving a bit irrationally. It was so out of character for her to be put off in such a way but she was pinning most of the blame on today’s stress. The quiet in the tower had given her too much time to overthink this whole debacle and she had worked herself into quite the tizzy. 

She wanted to be home. 

Viney wanted her mother’s mediocre cooking, not a lunch lady making-do with today’s leftovers. She wanted to fly freely on Puddles’ back, not be cooped up in the school building. She wanted to spend the night curled up in her bed, not struggling to find comfort on classroom furniture. 

“You look rather serious for someone with a whole pickle in their hand.”

Viney jumped in surprise. Emira’s approach had gone completely unnoticed by the distracted witch, allowing her to sidle right on up.

With a disappointed sigh, Viney glanced up to meet Emira’s playful gaze. It seemed a few minutes of peace really was too much to ask the universe for. “If you think I look serious now then you should know I mean it when I tell you to leave me alone.”

The directive had absolutely no effect. Emira continued to stare down at Viney, smirking as though she was holding out on a coveted secret. It was annoying. And childish. And a dozen other adjectives that were synonyms for ‘irritating’ that Viney couldn’t produce at the moment. 

Rather than give in to this teasing, Viney decided to simply remove herself from the situation. She got to her feet with an irritated huff and strode back down the hall. 

Within moments of planting herself in a new location, the doorway of an illusion track class, her personal pest had returned. Emira waltzed up as though she owned the place, which may or may not be an actual possibility given who her parents are. Either way, it was apparent that the witch wasn’t particularly concerned with taking the hint.

There was only one other solution to this issue that Viney could think of aside from shouting in Emira’s face.

Without a word, she spun around and turned her back on her infuriating classmate. It was absurdly childish behavior and it brought a slight flush to Viney’s cheeks to act like that, but she had no other ideas at present.

“You know, I’m really quite good at waiting things out. People always underestimate my determination to see a job done when I’m committed to something,” Emira piped up. She lowered herself to the ground just outside the door, crossing her lanky legs as they stretched out in front of her. “When we were younger, Edric bet that I couldn’t go a week without talking. I went for three just to spite him.”

“Your point?”

Emira grinned, an almost dazzling sight, even if Viney was currently furious with her. “My point is that while I’m happy to continue this chase for the next three days, you might grow tired of it pretty quickly. It would be easier for you if you could just try talking to me.”

Viney looked to the ground, weighing her options. She was extremely confident that she could wait Emira out, but was that really how she wanted to spend the next three days? At least if they were speaking she could try to control the direction and pace of their conversations.

“Fine.”

That sly grin faltered for half a second, momentary disbelief flashing across Emira’s face before she could put her facade back in place. She had been expecting to spend the rest of the night hounding Viney about this. “Fine? Just like that?”

“Yes, fine. But on one condition.”

“I don’t normally allow conditions, but I suppose I’ll let this slide.”

“Whatever. The condition is that you have to let me eat in peace. We can talk for a bit after that, but I want a chance to enjoy my meal.”

Golden eyes slid to the brown bag sitting in her lap, as if to ask,  _ how could you possibly enjoy  _ that? But Emira didn’t protest, she just nodded her agreement and silently settled back against the door frame to wait.

As she pulled her sandwich out of the bag, Biney caught sight of Jerbo farther down the hall. It seems that Edric had been tasked with distracting him. The boys looked to be laughing together, so at least Jerbo was having a better time than she was. Traitor. 

They sat in relative silence for the next few minutes, Viney taking her time to finish her depressing meal and Emira with both her eyes and mouth shut just a few feet away. Not a peep came from the Blight girl the entire time. Viney wasa almost impressed, she hadn’t thought such a thing possible. 

When she polished off everything in the bag, Viney crumpled it up and tossed it in the nearby wastebasket. “Okay Blight, I’m all done.”

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Emira asked, head reclined against the doorframe and eyes still sealed shut.

Viney rotated and then scooted back until her back hit the interior of the wooden frame, stretching her legs so that she sat perpendicular to Emira. “As much as one can possibly enjoy the crappiest meal ever.”

One eye cocked open as the corner of Emira’s lip tugged into a bemused smirk. “I suppose that’s the best we can hope for.”

A beat of silence skipped between them before Emira clapped her hands together with a devilish smile and asked, “So, do you think anyone will crack?”

“What? That’s what you’ve been waiting to talk about?”

“Absolutely! Amongst other things.” Emira grinned, jerking a thumb towards one of their classmates who already looked fried. “My money is on Byron. Edric told me that last year he totally flipped in the boys’ locker room when the door refused to open and they all missed third period. Three whole days stuck here and he’s toast. Who are you betting on?”

Viney rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to play this game. They were in a high stress situation and it was bound to be harder for some than others... Then again. “I think it’ll be Professor Asteria. She’s started twitching any time a student gets within five feet of her.”

They both leaned forward, glancing down the hall to where their potions professor was tucked into a corner of the hallway. She was picking at the lapel of her robe and muttering to herself. It would be a miracle if she made it to tomorrow morning before having a complete meltdown. 

Emira chuckled, nodding her approval of Viney’s selection. “Very nice. May the bigger hypochondriac win. Okay, next question—”

“Hey, I never agreed to play twenty questions with you.”

“I never said we were playing twenty questions. I’m just making conversation! You  _ did _ agree to talk with me.” Emira held up her hands in a defensive manner but that ever persistent smirk told another tale. Emira was learning how to push her buttons and she was enjoying every second of it.

Viney was going to have to work if she wanted to keep their conversations in check.

“Fine. Ask away.”

“Where is your head at with this whole quarantine deal? Upset that we’re stuck at school? Happy to be away from home? Scared of dying?”

Despite the bluntness of her questions, Emira’s interest seemed genuine and Viney was surprised by the more thoughtful line of inquiry.

“Not upset, I guess, just annoyed. I know this is really gonna freak my mom out and she doesn’t need that kind of stress. I’m a little worried she’ll get lonely at home too, but I guess I can’t really do anything about that. And then there’s Puddles too. I don’t know who is going to watch her while I’m here.”

“Funny, I think my parents will be glad to be rid of me and Ed for a few days.” Emira’s smile seemed to hollow a bit, a bitterness tugging at her cheeks that Viney might have questioned had it not disappeared a half second later. “If anything, I’m sure Amity will be happy she doesn’t have to prank-proof her room for a couple days.”

Emira laughed and it sounded a bit canned but Viney decided not to push it. They weren’t friends, she didn’t need to be asking after private details. Even if the ambiguity was already driving her crazy.

“Let me ask a question,” Viney offered, steering them back to safer territory. “What are you going to do to occupy yourself while we’re here? I feel like you and ‘thing number two’ over there,” she nodded to where Edric was demonstrating his handstand for Jerbo, “aren’t built for quarantine.”

“Au contraire, this is the perfect place for us to be. You’re all stuck with us, under minimal supervision, and practically no rules beyond ‘don’t leave this wing’. We can do anything we want.

“In fact,” Emira found Viney’s eyes and that devious glint sparked in her irises. “I’m going to use this time to show you what fun is.”

Viney scoffed. “Oh please, I know what fun is. I just don’t have to pull half-brained pranks that ruin everyone’s day to do it.”

“Studying in the library an hour past your curfew is not  _ fun _ , Viney. It’s time someone showed you that.” 

“That is not what I think fun is, Blight! You ju—”

She stopped short when Emira’s hand landed on her knee as the witch leaned into her personal space. Emira was much closer than anything Viney had been prepared for when she said, “Meet me in this classroom later tonight and I’ll show you what real fun is.”

Viney gulped, pressing herself as far back into the doorframe as possible to create some space between them. Thankfully she was able to keep her voice steady as she replied, “In your dreams, Blight.”

Emira quirked an eyebrow as she settled back against the other side of the door. Before she could say anything else that would fluster Viney any further, the beast keeper was up and on her feet. Without another word she hurried down the hall and caught Jerbo by the elbow, yanking him out of a conversation with Edric.

“Viney! What the hell?” Jerbo protested as she pulled him back to the tower stairs. 

She was not going to admit that Emira had managed to bother her in such a way, so she lied, “Being around that many people was making me nervous. Any of them could be carrying something that might kill us thanks to that stupid potion. Let’s just get out of here.”

But Jerbo wasn’t completely oblivious. As Viney dragged him into the stairwell, he caught sight of the way that Emira stared after them as they retreated to the tower. Or more specifically, stared after a certain witch.

He would never tell Vinney this, but he was pretty sure that Emira was going to get exactly what she wanted by the end of their quarantine. Friendship or whatever else. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys liked that! more to come soon! 
> 
> any bets on how long it takes emira to wear viney down?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> will Viney go to meet Emira?

Viney stared up at the ceiling of the astronomy tower as she tried to tune out Jerbo’s whistling snores. Someone had enchanted it to mirror the night sky, giving the illusion that they were sleeping under the stars. The muted constellations and swirling galaxies provided Viney with a sense of calm that she desperately needed. 

Normally, Viney would have been fast asleep for hours by this time of night. She was one of those ‘early to bed, early to rise’ types. It had to be that way when you have a parent that works the graveyard shift. Breakfasts at dawn were often the only chance she had to see her mother during the week, not that Viney minded, it was the best part of her day. 

But tonight was different.

Tonight she was wide awake and contemplating whether she should go meet Emira. 

Viney wanted to scold herself for even considering the witch’s offer, but something about Emira’s taunts had her wearily eyeing the door.  _ A couple minutes of ‘fun’ couldn’t hurt, right? _

No, that was not a good path to start down.

A friendship with the Blights had the strong possibility of getting her thrown back into the detention track. Or causing Viney to slack off in her studies until she flunked out of one, or both, of her specialty tracks. Failing school was  _ not _ an option. Besides, the Blights weren’t particularly well known for maintaining friendships, she would probably just be Emira’s quarantine playmate and then they would never speak again. 

_ Would that be so bad, though? _

It’s not like Viney was looking for any new friends. She already had Jerbo and Barcus and Puddles. Even Luz, but that was still new. She wasn’t the kind of person who required, or particularly wanted, more interaction than that. 

Perhaps she could just use Emira’s intrigue in befriending her as a distraction to get through quarantine. Viney was pretty good at setting boundaries, she was certain she could cut things off after three days if that’s what it came to. 

“Okay,” Viney whispered to herself as she extricated herself from her bean bag bed, “Just go down and prove you’re not a stick in the mud. If you’re uncomfortable, then you just leave. Simple as that. You know how to do ‘fun’.”

Thank the Titan Jerbo wasn’t awake to hear that pathetic excuse of a pep talk. 

It only took a minute to slip down the stairs and tiptoe back to the Illusion classroom. At first glance, the classroom seemed vacant but a second scan revealed a familiar face tucked away in the back corner of the room. The scowling witch appeared to be frustratedly fiddling with a (presumably) locked cabinet drawer. 

Viney stood in the doorway for a moment, waiting to be noticed but when it was clear that nothing was breaking Emira’s concentration she softly called, “I hope burglary isn’t the type of fun you wanted to show me tonight.”

Emira jumped, rattling the whole cabinet. A hand flew to her chest as startled eyes searched for the source of the new voice. “Gods, Viney, you scared me!”

A halfhearted apology escaped Viney’s lips as she fought hard to keep a smirk off her face. Something about the way those golden eyes bulging in fright was much funnier than it should be.

With measured steps, Viney made her way towards the back of the class to stand at the other witch’s side. Curiosity got the better of her and Viney peered over Emira’s shoulder to examine the situation. Based on the mangled state of the paper clip jammed into the lock, it seemed Emira was in need of some assistance. “Uh, what are you doing?”

“My professor confiscated one of Ed’s stupid little contraptions the other day and locked it in here. There are too many counterspells on this cabinet for me to use magic to get it open so I resorted to old-fashioned methods.” Emira glanced back over her shoulder, moonlight gathering in her eyes. “You know, I’m kind of surprised you actually came. I thought I’d have to bust into that tower and drag you down here.”

“That makes two of us,” Viney sighed.

After another minute of watching Emira struggle with the lock, Viney decided she had seen enough. “Just move over, I’ll get it open.”

Equipped with a brand new paper clip and a hairpin plucked from her bun, Viney set to work. It took about thirty seconds for a  _ click _ to sound in the silent classroom and the drawer to slide open under her palms. She could’ve done it even faster but Viney was acutely aware of a part of distracting eyes boring holes in her back. 

“And you let me look like a bumbling fool for two whole minutes  _ because _ ...?” Emira asked as she rummaged through the drawer’s contents. 

“Well, I hadn’t planned on revealing that card but you were starting to embarrass yourself there,” Viney joked as she pinned a few stray hairs back into place.

Despite the dim lighting in the room, the rosy blush coloring Emira’s cheeks was still visible as genuine embarrassment began to shine through that usually well-controlled facade. If Viney were a better person she would have felt sorry for flustering her or even just have looked away, but she wanted to even the score after Emira’s teasing at dinner. So what if it was a little petty?

“So... you said you were going to show me what real fun looks like, Blight?”

Viney immediately regretted asking the question. The reminder put Emira right back into her element. There was almost a physical transformation when she realized she was in control of the situation. Shoulders straightened. Eyes sharpened. Grin widened. The air around them practically buzzed with the recaptured confidence.

“Come with me. I have something to show you.” Before Viney could ask any question, Emira’s hand had latched onto her wrist and she was being pulled down the hall.

They burst through the stairwell door and Emira rushed them down the two flights. The  _ pitter-patter _ of their shoes against the marble seemed to echo through the chamber, making it seem as though twenty people were rushing by, not just two excitable witches.

When they reached the first-floor Emira let go of her hand to fling the door open in a dramatic fashion. Viney tried not to think too hard on the momentary disappointment she’d felt when that gentle grip retreated. Rather than analyze that thought, Viney just hurried along before the door swung close again.

“Uh, Blight?” Viney questioned as she glanced around the pitch-black room. “Isn’t this just the gym?”

“I know. Not usually my first choice either but I need the space for what I’m going to show you.” Her voice sounded from somewhere across the room, echoing off the walls and preventing Viney from figuring out exactly where it had originated from.

Before Viney could try to conjure a small flame, the lights came to life to illuminate the far side of the gym. The soft light revealed Emira leaning against something that almost looked like a grudgby pole, except this one had a horizontal net and a backboard. The ball tucked against the witch’s hip looked different too, orange and a little larger than what Viney was used to.

“What is  _ that _ ?”

“Luz called it basketball.” Emira waved a hand to beckon her closer. “She showed me and Edric how to play the other day! We had a crazy good time, even without any magic involved.”

“I’m not surprised. Activities with Luz are usually pretty fun, you know, once you remove the deadly element that always seems to accompany her plans.”

“Don’t I know it! Remind me to tell you about our run-in with the slitherbeast some other day, that was a real close call. But for now, let me show you how to play.” Emira shot her a crooked grin. “And try not to be too impressed by all my athletic abilities.”

The next few minutes were spent going over techniques and general rules on how to play the game. Two minutes into these “instructions” Viney was pretty sure that Emira had forgotten most of the information that Luz had originally told her and was just making up her own rules. 

There was a brief moment of panic that ensued when Emira showed her how to shoot. Viney was having a hard time getting any arc on her shots so Emira came to adjust her grip on the ball. For a few seconds, the troublesome witch was pressed into her side and her perfectly manicured hands were enveloping Viney’s calloused palms as she repositioned them. 

She’d barely been able to stammer out an ‘uh huh’ when Emira asked if that felt any better.

Despite her brain’s short-circuiting at the sensation of having this bothersome girl so close, her shots did actually improve. Soon enough Viney was far outperforming Emira, shooting trickier shots and moving around the court with ease. She would have to show Luz the next time they hung out. 

When Emira realized she was being outdone she pulled them back into a conversation. “So when we were talking earlier you mentioned someone named Puddles. Is that a younger sibling?”

A laugh bubbled up from Viney’s chest as she took another shot. “In a manner of speaking, yes, kind of. But actually, no. Puddles is the gryphon I care for.”

“Wow! A gryphon?” Emira snagged the ball as it bounced off the backboard, passing it back to Viney, “How did you manage? I’ve heard they’re extremely hard to tame.”

Viney dribbled the ball as she thought of all the trouble that has surrounded Puddles over the years. The endless hours spent mucking out her stall. Panicked mornings spent tracking her down before she was trained to return home. Several knock-out arguments when her mother had insisted she was too much work to keep. “Yeah. It’s been interesting for sure, but it’s all worth it when we’re in the sky. Flying above everything, where it’s just me and Puddles and the clouds, it’s an indescribable feeling. Riding on a broom is just... incomparable to riding on the back of a gryphon.”

“I’m jealous, that sounds incredible,” Emira’s wistful smile had a genuine warmth to it, the kind that seemed to invite you in again and again.

And it was probably that damn dreamy smile that pulled the next words out of her mouth. “Well, maybe I can take you some time once we’re out of quarantine.”

Surprise colored the witch’s face as she processed the offer.

Before Viney could try to take back her words, fearing that she had misspoken, Emira quietly answered, “I would like that very much. Thank you, Viney.”

Now it was the brunette’s turn to flush, tightly clutching the basketball to her chest to occupy her fidgety hands. “Yeah, no problem.”

A blanket of silence settled over them, stifling any conversation that either girl could think to drum up. Maybe this proposed friendship wasn’t explicitly exclusive to their quarantine period after all. 

Emira was the first one to get her wits about her again. “Well don’t be a ball hog, Skygirl. Toss it over here! Maybe some of your talents will rub off on me.”

“You just went with the first nickname that came to your mind, huh?”

“One hundred percent. But I think it’s gonna stick.”

Viney pretended to stifle a groan as she passed the ball, acting as though the corny name was already causing her grief. Secretly, she found it rather endearing. Her chest had filled with some kind of warmth the moment Emira had said it. But just as before with the handholding, Viney was not quite ready to investigate that feeling.

As Emira took another poor shot that rebounded into the vacant bleachers, Viney spoke up, “Can I ask you a question?”

“We seem to be developing a routine here,” Emira noted as she jogged over to retrieve the ball. “It’s your turn for a question anyway, so go right ahead.”

“Yeah, thanks. So I was just thinking about something you said earlier today that was kind of bothering me.”

Emira glanced up from where she was draped over the bleacher, swiping at the basketball that seemed just out of reach. “Aw, you were thinking about me? Only one day into quarantine and I’m already occupying your mind.”

“Yeah whatever, Blight,” Viney rolled her eyes but it lacked any real bite. “Earlier you said that your parents would probably be glad to get rid of you and Edric for a few days. How come? Aren’t they worried about, like, the very real risk of you dying?”

If Viney hadn’t been watching so closely she would’ve missed the way that Emira’s whole body seemed to tense at the question. When she picked herself up some of the playfulness that always surrounded the green-haired witch seemed to have dissipated and the same hollow smile from this afternoon was painted on Emira’s face once more.

“That’s a fair question. I guess I just meant that it’s not often our parents get a break from lecturing us for whatever we’ve done to disappoint them most recently. It’ll be a nice break for me and Ed too.”

The tight-lipped reply seemed to allude to more than a few issues at home. Viney wanted to ask for further clarification, if only to offer some words of comfort or, better yet, to have a good excuse to let Puddles loose on the gardens of Blight Manor. But it didn’t feel right to pry further, she and Emira weren’t close like that. She didn’t feel comfortable sharing the more intimate details of her home life either.

And yet.

“What about you?” Emira returned the question. The witch heaved a sigh, giving her arms a shake as though she could physically rid herself of any dreary thoughts, and put her usual persistent smirk back into place. “Are your parents worried about you not being home?”

“It’s just my mom waiting for me at home.” She didn’t elaborate any further, didn’t need to. “I think it’ll be hard for her. We have a unique relationship. She does better when she has a chance to see me once a day.”

There was some tension in the air as the young witches held each other’s gaze. Both knew that the other was omitting some pretty big details that would paint very different pictures of their home lives, but neither was willing to push any farther.

For tonight, this would be enough.

Emira was the first to look away, averting her eyes to the ball in her hands, “So. Wanna play some more?”

“Absolutely.”

They spent another hour messing around in the gym. It was a little tense at first, both of them unsure of how the other was feeling or if there was more they should have said. The atmosphere lifted when Viney made a shot and it ricocheted off the rim, catching a distracted Emira in the chest. After that, they were all laughs and teases once again.

When they were both sweaty and a little out of breath, Viney called time. “I can feel the exhaustion setting in, I gotta get to bed soon.”

“Fine but I’m demanding a rematch at some point. When I’m a little more practiced and Luz has re-explained the rules to me.” Emira lazily drew a circle with her finger and the equipment disappeared. 

Together they shut the lights off and made their way back up to the main hall. Emira walked with Viney until they reached the door of the tower stairs.

As Viney palmed the doorknob, she quietly admitted, “I might have had you wrong, Blight. I actually had fun tonight.”

Rather than tease the beast keeper about her admission, Emira just let it slide. “So did I. You know, I—”

When a moment passed and Emira still didn’t finish her thought, Viney gave her the out. “Good night, Emira. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Viney slipped back into the stairwell she caught the faintly murmured, “Good night, Skygirl.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! until the next one <3

**Author's Note:**

> Viney's plans are going to the wayside very quickly! Tune in to the next chapter to see if Emira makes good on her promise!


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